He is risen!

Easter...what an incredible way to celebrate after a season of praying, fasting, giving, and reflecting. It really makes everything come full circle- you have the answer for why you have been sacrificing so much and trying to conform various aspects of your life to better align with God's plan. What is that reason? Because Jesus rose!! It did not end with His passion and crucifixion; He fulfilled the prophesies and rose to bring hope to the world. There have been lots of books written to prove that the resurrection actually happened, but I think what it boils down to is trust and faith. Jesus is different from any other thought-to-be Messiah throughout time because his following did not die off with his death. If anything, it only became stronger as it proved to the people that he was who he said he was. What a beautiful thing to celebrate!!

My original post:
http://greatandholyadventure.blogspot.com/2013/04/and-all-was-new-again.html

Holiday: Easter- April 20, 2014

Celebration: Easter is the greatest feast in the Christian calendar. On this Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. For Catholics, Easter Sunday comes at the end of 40 days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving known as Lent. Through spiritual struggle and self-denial, we have prepared ourselves to die spiritually with Christ on Good Friday, the day of His Crucifixion, so that we can rise again with Him in new life on Easter.

Easter is a day of celebration because it represents the fulfillment of our faith as Christians. St. Paul wrote that, unless Christ rose from the dead, our faith is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:17). Through his death, Christ saved mankind from bondage to sin, and He destroyed the hold that death has on all of us; but it is His Resurrection that gives us the promise of new life, both in this world and the next.

Historical background:
The first Christians, Jewish and Gentile, were certainly aware of the Hebrew calendar,but there is no direct evidence that they celebrated any specifically Christian annual festivals. Christians of Jewish origin were the first to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Since the date of the resurrection was close the timing of Passover, they likely celebrated the resurrection as a new facet of the Passover festival.

Direct evidence for the Easter festival begins to appear in the mid-second century. Perhaps the earliest extant primary source referencing Easter is a mid-second-century Paschal homily attributed to Melito of Sardis, which characterizes the celebration as a well-established one. Evidence for another kind of annual Christian festival, the commemoration of martyrs, begins to appear at about the same time as evidence for the celebration of Easter. But while martyrs' days (usually the individual dates of martyrdom) were celebrated on fixed dates in the local solar calendar, the date of Easter was fixed by means of the local Jewish lunisolar calendar. This is consistent with the celebration of Easter having entered Christianity during its earliest, Jewish period,

The New Testament teaches that the resurrection of Jesus, which Easter celebrates, is a foundation of the Christian faith. The resurrection established Jesus as the powerful Son of God and is cited as proof that God will judge the world in righteousness. God has given Christians "a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead". Christians, through faith in the working of God are spiritually resurrected with Jesus so that they may walk in a new way of life.

Easter is linked to the Passover and Exodus from Egypt recorded in the Old Testament through the Last Supper and crucifixion that preceded the resurrection. According to the New Testament, Jesus gave the Passover meal a new meaning, as he prepared himself and his disciples for his death in the upper room during the Last Supper. He identified the matzah and cup of wine as his body soon to be sacrificed and his blood soon to be shed. Paul states, "Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed";this refers to the Passover requirement to have no yeast in the house and to the allegory of Jesus as the Paschal lamb.

Biblical basis:

John 20:1-9- The Gospel Reading on Easter Sunday
The Empty Tomb
On the first day of the week,
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter
and arrived at the tomb first;
he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.
When Simon Peter arrived after him,
he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there,
and the cloth that had covered his head,
not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.
Then the other disciple also went in,
the one who had arrived at the tomb first,
and he saw and believed.
For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.

Ways to Celebrate:
-Craft ideas for kids and youth:
**Make Easter cards to deliver to friends and family spreading friendship and joy!
**Coloring eggs: Decorating eggs was a pagan symbol of rebirth at springtime for the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, Persians and even the Chinese. Christians adopted the colored egg as a symbol of new life which comes with the Resurrection.
-Before you hide the eggs or put them in baskets, encircle each one with a colored strip of paper (or place the strip inside plastic eggs) that tells one small part of the Easter story. When the eggs have been found, the children must unscramble the story and put it in the right order.
-Instead of decorating the eggs with dye, or in addition to dying them, write one attribute of Jesus or a different promise that comes with the Resurrection on each egg. You can do this by writing on the egg with a crayon before you put it in the dye. If you are using plastic eggs, you can write with a permanent marker or paint pen.
-Send kids on a hunt for the eggs that have Jesus' attributes written on them. Instead of just discovering eggs, they will be discovering the wonderful things that make Jesus so special. If the eggs are plastic, fill them with treats to remember how sweet the life of Jesus really is.
-Dye eggs in certain colors and use them to tell the story of salvation.

-Fun family ideas:

**Teach about Jesus using the Easter bunny! Look at the bunnies attributes as they...
-are white as snow because Jesus takes all sin away (Isaiah 1:18b).
-are gentle, kind-hearted and forgiving (Ephesians 4:32).
-have big ears that are quick to listen (James 1:19).
-have big eyes to look carefully and choose what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
-have no voice for complaining or arguing (Philippians 2:13).
-are quiet in prayer, but hop with thanksgiving and rejoicing (Philippians 4:4-6).
-have big feet to go tell others about Jesus so they can be like Easter bunnies, too (Matthew 28: 19-20).
-eat what is healthy by filling up on God's word every day (Psalm 119:11).

**Have an Easter brunch using your colored hard boiled eggs! See how creative you can get and try new recipes...maybe an english muffin hard boiled egg pizza with tomatoes and mozzarella!

-Religious traditions:

**Attend Easter morning mass together

**Age appropriate ways to teach the meaning of Easter...
Ages 0-3
Help your little ones stuff hollow plastic eggs with one chocolate heart, because Jesus came to give us a new heart toward God. Then allow your little one to hand them out to friends, neighbors, or people you meet during the day. You might include a note inside with the passage from John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." – Jesus
Ages 4-7
Hold a neighborhood egg hunt, but award the large basket filled with candy for whoever finds the one empty egg, representing the empty tomb. When the child finds the empty egg he or she must call out, "He is not here he has risen, just as he said." Be sure to conclude the hunt with an Easter story on the lawn. I'd recommend The Parable of the Lily, by Liz Curtis Higgs.
Ages 8-12
Sometimes the greatest joy is in the giving. Visit a nearby hospital or retirement home and greet one of the residents with a fresh Easter lily. You may want to attach a card with some encouraging words about the hope we have in our risen Lord.
Age 13-18
Children this age might enjoy a surprise field trip for a sunrise service at the park or a nearby lake. Be sure to bring a Bible, hymnbook or maybe even a guitar for a worshipful early morning celebration.

How we celebrated:
After all of the Holy Week festivities, Aaron and I were ready to celebrate Easter!! On Sunday morning, we went to mass very early to see the church beautifully decorated with Easter lilies and white linens. After mass, we came back to the house to have a delicious Easter brunch with my family and we looked through the Easter baskets my mom had put together for us. It was great to just spend time together that morning. We then went to my grandmother's house where we feasted with the whole family! It was an amazing festive celebration! I am looking forward to incorporating more of the family based traditions once we have little ones one day :)

Trust in God Always

Celebrating Passover can be very meaningful for Jews and Christians alike. I think oftentimes, we forget to recognize the importance of many of the Old Testament stories. The story of the exodus from Egypt is a remarkable one that triggers awe and wonder. The story of the plagues that God sent to deliver His people from the hands of their oppressors, shows you that God is in total control and can do anything, especially for those who love and honor Him. I cannot imagine what it would have been like to witness that moment in time and experience God's complete and total Lordship over all. It is amazing to recognize the fact that from the beginning of time, God has had a plan for this world and has been watching over it. The fact that God used the celebration of Passover to give the gift of the Eucharist to us, displays its significance in our lives. There is a reason that he chose this feast day; maybe it is to help us remember to relinquish all control to God who will guard and protect us if we keep the faith. 

My original post:

http://greatandholyadventure.blogspot.com/2013/03/bless-and-protect-faithful.html

   

Holiday: Pesach and Hag HaMatzah- Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread- starts on the night of April 14th and continues for 8 days

Celebration: Passover commemorates the miraculous exodus of the Jewish people from the land of Egypt under the leadership of Moses and memorializes the night that the faithful were protected by the blood of the lamb.

Historical background: The meaning of Passover can be found in Exodus. The Hebrew word "pesach" means "to spring jump, or pass over" something; hence the English name, Passover. This is a historical reference to God's deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt as recorded in Exodus.

The people of Israel had been enslaved by the Egyptians for generations. They were terribly oppressed and were not allowed to leave. They had nowhere to go and no one to turn to, so they turned to God and asked for deliverance day after day. All they could do was trust that their faith in God would lead them from the hand of their oppressors one day. Finally, God sent his answer in the form of a man named Moses who made entreaties to the Pharaoh to let his people go.

Because of the increasing hardness of Pharaoh's heart, God had to send ten plagues to persuade the biblical leader to let Israel go. Pharaoh kept promising Moses that he would release them after each plague, but changed his mind each time. As devastating as the first nine plagues were, it wasn't until the tenth and final plague that Pharaoh acquiesced to the God of Israel. In this judgment, God said he would send the Angel of Death over the land of Egypt to take the firstborn boy of every household.

With every judgment of God there is also a way of escape. Any household that put the blood of the sacrificial lamb on its doorpost was given a special promise: "when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you."

Passover clearly typifies redemption in a dramatic way. It is a holy day commemorating Gods deliverance of Israel from the slavery of Egypt. Yet, Pesach also holds a greater prophetic picture of God's plan for world redemption. It also emphasizes that even in times of great despair, when God seems most distant, putting your whole faith and trust in Him, will lead to deliverance. The people of Israel suffered for so long, but they never lost trust and faith in God.

Biblical basis:
Exodus 12
The Passover

12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household.4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. 17 And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, foron this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. 18 In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. 24 You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. 25 And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 you shall say,‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

29 At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock.30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. 31 Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”
The Exodus

33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders. 35 The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

37 And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.

40 The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.
Institution of the Passover

43 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it,44 but every slave that is bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. 45 No foreigner or hired worker may eat of it. 46 It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.49 There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”

50 All the people of Israel did just as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day the Lordbrought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.

Ways to Celebrate:
-Craft ideas for kids and youth:
**Make your own matzah holder using fabric or felt.

**Decorate your own plates to make them look like seder plates while discussing the significance of each item on the plate

**Have children do coloring sheets or make finger puppets of the 10 plagues to help them remember how God came to help the Jewish people.

-Fun family ideas:
**Spring cleaning! Use this as a time to get rid of excess and just focus on keeping things that are meaningful, purposeful,, or beautiful- we want to remove all sin and negativity from our dwellings and our hearts
**Cookie hunt! Parents can hide cookies around the house to represent the leaven or sin in our lives. Kids must hunt them down and get rid of them by scooping them up on a wooden spoon to mirror the wooden cross of Christ as it was used to rid the world of sin.

-Religious traditions:
**Hold your own passover seder on one of the first two nights! This link will take you to an incredible resource for step by step instructions on celebrating a Messianic Passover Haggadah (http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Spring_Holidays/Pesach/H4C_Passover_Seder.pdf)

**This is a beautiful prayer sequence that can be said the other nights of Passover...
Mother lights candles and says: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the radiance of fire.
Father: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified these days and has sanctified thy people.
All: Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has preserved us alive, sustained us and brought us to enjoy this season. Amen.
Child: We praise thee, O Lord, for as we eat this matzoh, the bread of affliction, we remember the Seder meal when Yeshua transformed the bread into His body.
Father: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who gives us the fruits of the earth.
All: Amen. (All eat some matzoh)
Child: We praise thee, O Lord, for as we drink the cup of Passover deliverance, we remember that Seder meal when Yeshua transformed the cup of redemption into His blood.
Father: (raising a cup of wine) Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who createst the fruit of the vine.
All: Amen (everyone sip from the cup)
Father: The name of the Eternal be blessed from now unto eternity.
All: Blessed be He of whose gifts we partake and by whose goodness we exist.
Father: May He who is most merciful make us worthy to behold the day of the Messiah and eternal life. He gives great salvation through His Son, Yeshua His anointed. May He who maketh peace in high heavens grant peace to us and all Israel. We ask this in the name of Yeshua, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee and Ruach haKodesh, one God, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.

Blessing for Passover:

Jesus and Passover:
After exploring the background of Passover, the prophetic fulfillment of this holy day is clear. It can best be summed up by the word "redemption." Rabbi Saul of Taurus (the apostle Paul) states this theme beautifully and succinctly in his letter to the Corinthian believers. They were told to deal with moral problems within their members. To make his point, Paul draws upon the well-understood analogy of Passover.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Your boasting is not good. Don't you know the saying, "It takes only a little chametz to leaven a whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old chametz, so that you can be a new batch of dough because in reality you are unleavened. For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sanctified. So let us celebrate the seder, not with leftover chametz, the chametz of wickedness and evil, but with the matzah of purity and truth.

Slaying the lamb at Passover foreshadowed the greater redemption found in God's appointed lamb, the Messiah. What a special joy to celebrate this feast of redemption (as encouraged by Paul), for those who have truly experienced redemption in Yeshua, the savior of the world!

How we celebrated:
Aaron and I spent some good time preparing for Passover this year. We edited a Haggadah and made one that fit us really well. I typed it all out and am planning to put it together in little books. I want to add blank pages to the end, so that we can record a special memory of our seder with each year that passes. Thanks so my amazing volunteer Alyson, we had a beautiful Passover plate to put out on the table and help with the seder. We prepared dishes and made sure all of the little elements of the seder were present. Then, we went to Holy Thursday mass to celebrate the Passover of our Lord. It is such a beautiful celebration that commemorates the installation of the Eucharist, selfless service, and the priesthood; three things that I am beyond thankful for. It was a very meaningful ceremony full of beautiful singing and a special washing of the feet ceremony. After mass, we went back to our house to have our Passover seder. It was the first time I had really had the opportunity to read through the entire story of the Exodus. I think it was an incredible way to highlight the strong faith that the Jewish people had and how they trusted God so wholeheartedly. Aaron and I followed the rules for the 8 days of fasting (even through the Easter festivities) and then broke fast with some of our favorite pizza from Whole Foods!!!

The Final Journey to the Cross

Holy Week is such a beautiful time to reflect on the entire season of Lent and your journey to the cross. I think as a Christian, I tend to overlook the graphic nature of the crucifixion and just think of it as an incredibly loving sacrifice that God made for us. However, Palm Sunday is the perfect opportunity to really reflect on what Holy Week and Lent is all about. Jesus, an ordinary human man, willingly allowed men to drive huge stakes into his body as he grimaced in horrible pain. He did this without hesitating....and He didn't even know me yet! He didn't know what kind of person I would be or what kind of life I would live, but He chose to sacrifice everything for me. I don't even know which of my family members would willingly undergo such immense pain for my sake. This Holy Week I really want to focus on that sacrifice and think about if I am leading a life that was worth dying for. As I move through the events of this week, I hope to draw closer to God in gratitude and adoration.

See my original post here:
http://greatandholyadventure.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-most-holy-of-weeks.html

Holiday: Palm Sunday-April 13, 2014, Holy Thursday- April 17, 2014, Good Friday- April 18, 2014

Celebration:
**Palm Sunday- Commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover and marks the beginning of the Holy Week. The donkey he rode was a symbol of peace; those who rode upon them proclaimed peaceful intentions. The laying of palm branches as done by the people indicated that the king or dignitary was arriving in victory or triumph.

**Holy Thursday- The Mass on Holy Thursday is commonly known as the Feast of the Lord’s Supper. This Mass is a time for Catholics to remember the Last Supper where Jesus and his apostles gathered to celebrate Passover. In the Holy Thursday celebration, two ritual actions stand out among the rest: the Washing of the Feet and the Celebration of the Eucharist.
**Good Friday- Commemorates the crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus. It is the most sorrowful day on the Christian calendar. In this solemn celebration, we remember the Passion and Death of Our Lord. The service is marked by several important rituals including the proclaiming of the Passion according to John,the Veneration of the Cross, an extended form of General Intercessions and finally, the distribution of Communion (reserved from the Holy Thursday celebration of the Eucharist).

Historical background:
**Palm Sunday-The celebration of Palm Sunday originated in the Jerusalem Church, around the late fourth century. The early Palm Sunday ceremony consisted of prayers, hymns, and sermons recited by the clergy while the people walked to various holy sites throughout the city. At the final site, the place where Christ ascended into heaven, the clergy would read from the gospels concerning the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. In the early evening they would return to the city reciting: "Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord." The children would carry palm and olive branches as the people returned through the city back to the church, where they would hold evening services.

By the fifth century, the Palm Sunday celebration had spread as far as Constantinople. Changes made in the sixth and seventh centuries resulted in two new Palm Sunday traditions - the ritual blessing of the palms, and a morning procession instead of an evening one. Adopted by the Western Church in the eighth century, the celebration received the name "Dominica in Palmis," or "Palm Sunday".

**Holy Thursday- Holy Thursday is the day on which Catholics commemorate the institution of three pillars of the Catholic Faith: the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the priesthood, and selfless service. During the Last Supper, Christ blessed the bread and wine with the very words that Catholic and Orthodox priests use today to consecrate the Body and Blood of Christ during the Mass and the Divine Liturgy. In telling His disciples to "Do this in remembrance of Me," He instituted the Mass and made them the first priests.

Near the end of the Last Supper, after Judas had departed, Christ said to His disciples, "A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another." The Latin word for "commandment," mandatum became the source for another name for Holy Thursday: Maundy Thursday.

On Holy Thursday, the priests of each diocese gather with their bishop to consecrate holy oils, which are used throughout the year for the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick. This ancient practice, which goes back to the fifth century, is known as the Chrism Mass ("chrism" is a mixture of oil and balsam used for the holy oils) and stresses the role of the bishop as a successor to the apostles.

Except in very rare circumstances, there is only one Mass other than the Chrism Mass celebrated on Holy Thursday in each church: the Mass of the Lord's Supper, which is celebrated after sundown. It commemorates the institution of the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and it ends with the removal of the Body of Christ from the tabernacle in the main body of the church. The Eucharist is carried in procession to another place where it is kept overnight, to be distributed during the commemoration of the Lord's Passion on Good Friday. After the procession, the altar is stripped bare, and all bells in the church are silent until the Gloria at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday.

**Good Friday-As early as the first century, the Church set aside every Friday as a special day of prayer and fasting. It was not until the fourth century, however, that the Church began observing the Friday before Easter as the day associated with the crucifixion of Christ. First called Holy or Great Friday by the Greek
Church, the name "Good Friday" was adopted by the Roman Church around the sixth or seventh century.

From the earliest days of Christianity, no Mass has been celebrated on Good Friday; instead, the Church celebrates a special liturgy in which the account of the Passion according to the Gospel of John is read, a series of intercessory prayers (prayers for special intentions) are offered, and the faithful venerate the Cross by coming forward and kissing it. The Good Friday liturgy concludes with the distribution of Holy Communion. Since there was no Mass, Hosts that were reserved from the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday are distributed instead.The service is particularly solemn; the organ is not played, and all vestments are red or (in the Traditional Latin Mass) black.

Biblical basis:
**Palm Sunday-
Zechariah 9:9- The prophesying verse...
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

John 12:12-13- The account of...
The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. The King of Israel!"

**Holy Thursday-
John 13:12-16- Washing of the feet...
After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them."

Exodus 12: 1-8, 11-14- The Passover meal...
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
“This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;
you shall reckon it the first month of the year.
Tell the whole community of Israel:
On the tenth of this month every one of your families
must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.
If a family is too small for a whole lamb,
it shall join the nearest household in procuring one
and shall share in the lamb
in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.
The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.
You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.
You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month,
and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present,
it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.
They shall take some of its blood
and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel
of every house in which they partake of the lamb.
That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

“This is how you are to eat it:
with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand,
you shall eat like those who are in flight.
It is the Passover of the LORD.
For on this same night I will go through Egypt,
striking down every firstborn of the land, both man and beast,
and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!
But the blood will mark the houses where you are.
Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;
thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,
no destructive blow will come upon you.

“This day shall be a memorial feast for you,
which all your generations shall celebrate
with pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”

**Good Friday-

John 18: 1-19:42
Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley
to where there was a garden,
into which he and his disciples entered.
Judas his betrayer also knew the place,
because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards
from the chief priests and the Pharisees
and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.
Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him,
went out and said to them, “Whom are you looking for?”
They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
He said to them, “I AM.”
Judas his betrayer was also with them.
When he said to them, “I AM, “
they turned away and fell to the ground.
So he again asked them,
“Whom are you looking for?”
They said, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
Jesus answered,
“I told you that I AM.
So if you are looking for me, let these men go.”
This was to fulfill what he had said,
“I have not lost any of those you gave me.”
Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it,
struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear.
The slave’s name was Malchus.
Jesus said to Peter,
“Put your sword into its scabbard.
Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me?”

So the band of soldiers, the tribune, and the Jewish guards seized Jesus,
bound him, and brought him to Annas first.
He was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,
who was high priest that year.
It was Caiaphas who had counseled the Jews
that it was better that one man should die rather than the people.

Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus.
Now the other disciple was known to the high priest,
and he entered the courtyard of the high priest with Jesus.
But Peter stood at the gate outside.
So the other disciple, the acquaintance of the high priest,
went out and spoke to the gatekeeper and brought Peter in.
Then the maid who was the gatekeeper said to Peter,
“You are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?”
He said, “I am not.”
Now the slaves and the guards were standing around a charcoal fire
that they had made, because it was cold,
and were warming themselves.
Peter was also standing there keeping warm.

The high priest questioned Jesus
about his disciples and about his doctrine.
Jesus answered him,
“I have spoken publicly to the world.
I have always taught in a synagogue
or in the temple area where all the Jews gather,
and in secret I have said nothing. Why ask me?
Ask those who heard me what I said to them.
They know what I said.”
When he had said this,
one of the temple guards standing there struck Jesus and said,
“Is this the way you answer the high priest?”
Jesus answered him,
“If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong;
but if I have spoken rightly, why do you strike me?”
Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing there keeping warm.
And they said to him,
“You are not one of his disciples, are you?”
He denied it and said,
“I am not.”
One of the slaves of the high priest,
a relative of the one whose ear Peter had cut off, said,
“Didn’t I see you in the garden with him?”
Again Peter denied it.
And immediately the cock crowed.

Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium.
It was morning.
And they themselves did not enter the praetorium,
in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover.
So Pilate came out to them and said,
“What charge do you bring against this man?”
They answered and said to him,
“If he were not a criminal,
we would not have handed him over to you.”
At this, Pilate said to them,
“Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.”
The Jews answered him,
“We do not have the right to execute anyone, “
in order that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled
that he said indicating the kind of death he would die.
So Pilate went back into the praetorium
and summoned Jesus and said to him,
“Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered,
“Do you say this on your own
or have others told you about me?”
Pilate answered,
“I am not a Jew, am I?
Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me.
What have you done?”
Jesus answered,
“My kingdom does not belong to this world.
If my kingdom did belong to this world,
my attendants would be fighting
to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.
But as it is, my kingdom is not here.”
So Pilate said to him,
“Then you are a king?”
Jesus answered,
“You say I am a king.
For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth.
Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

When he had said this,
he again went out to the Jews and said to them,
“I find no guilt in him.
But you have a custom that I release one prisoner to you at Passover.
Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
They cried out again,
“Not this one but Barabbas!”
Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him scourged.
And the soldiers wove a crown out of thorns and placed it on his head,
and clothed him in a purple cloak,
and they came to him and said,
“Hail, King of the Jews!”
And they struck him repeatedly.
Once more Pilate went out and said to them,
“Look, I am bringing him out to you,
so that you may know that I find no guilt in him.”
So Jesus came out,
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak.
And he said to them, “Behold, the man!”
When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out,
“Crucify him, crucify him!”
Pilate said to them,
“Take him yourselves and crucify him.
I find no guilt in him.”
The Jews answered,
“We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die,
because he made himself the Son of God.”
Now when Pilate heard this statement,
he became even more afraid,
and went back into the praetorium and said to Jesus,
“Where are you from?”
Jesus did not answer him.
So Pilate said to him,
“Do you not speak to me?
Do you not know that I have power to release you
and I have power to crucify you?”
Jesus answered him,
“You would have no power over me
if it had not been given to you from above.
For this reason the one who handed me over to you
has the greater sin.”
Consequently, Pilate tried to release him; but the Jews cried out,
“If you release him, you are not a Friend of Caesar.
Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.”

When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out
and seated him on the judge’s bench
in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha.
It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.
And he said to the Jews,
“Behold, your king!”
They cried out,
“Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!”
Pilate said to them,
“Shall I crucify your king?”
The chief priests answered,
“We have no king but Caesar.”
Then he handed him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross himself,
he went out to what is called the Place of the Skull,
in Hebrew, Golgotha.
There they crucified him, and with him two others,
one on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
Pilate also had an inscription written and put on the cross.
It read,
“Jesus the Nazorean, the King of the Jews.”
Now many of the Jews read this inscription,
because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city;
and it was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek.
So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate,
“Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’
but that he said, ‘I am the King of the Jews’.”
Pilate answered,
“What I have written, I have written.”

When the soldiers had crucified Jesus,
they took his clothes and divided them into four shares,
a share for each soldier.
They also took his tunic, but the tunic was seamless,
woven in one piece from the top down.
So they said to one another,
“Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it will be, “
in order that the passage of Scripture might be fulfilled that says:
They divided my garments among them,
and for my vesture they cast lots.
This is what the soldiers did.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother
and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas,
and Mary of Magdala.
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved
he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”
Then he said to the disciple,
“Behold, your mother.”
And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

After this, aware that everything was now finished,
in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
Jesus said, “I thirst.”
There was a vessel filled with common wine.
So they put a sponge soaked in wine on a sprig of hyssop
and put it up to his mouth.
When Jesus had taken the wine, he said,
“It is finished.”
And bowing his head, he handed over the spirit.

Here all kneel and pause for a short time.

Now since it was preparation day,
in order that the bodies might not remain on the cross on the sabbath,
for the sabbath day of that week was a solemn one,
the Jews asked Pilate that their legs be broken
and that they be taken down.
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first
and then of the other one who was crucified with Jesus.
But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead,
they did not break his legs,
but one soldier thrust his lance into his side,
and immediately blood and water flowed out.
An eyewitness has testified, and his testimony is true;
he knows that he is speaking the truth,
so that you also may come to believe.
For this happened so that the Scripture passage might be fulfilled:
Not a bone of it will be broken.
And again another passage says:
They will look upon him whom they have pierced.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea,
secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews,
asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus.
And Pilate permitted it.
So he came and took his body.
Nicodemus, the one who had first come to him at night,
also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes
weighing about one hundred pounds.
They took the body of Jesus
and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices,
according to the Jewish burial custom.
Now in the place where he had been crucified there was a garden,
and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had yet been buried.
So they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day;
for the tomb was close by.

Ways to Celebrate:
-Craft ideas for kids and youth:
**Make palm crosses with the palms from Palm Sunday. Maybe hang them on the Ash Wednesday cross they made!

**Make Seder plates for the Passover meal on Holy Thursday.

**Do coloring sheets of the stations of the cross and hang them in the house on Good Friday. You could even have them correspond with their breakfast Easter eggs (see below). Or use the egg carton stations that I talked about for Lent. I will post another pic below!

**Make cards to donate to people who are alone on Easter Sunday bringing them joy.

-Fun family ideas:
**Dye Easter eggs to represent the new life that comes with the Resurrection.
**Clean the house and decorate it with Easter lilies in preparation for Easter.
**Volunteer as a family on Holy Thursday to honor the gift of selfless love that Jesus gave us.
**Fast from leaven from Thursday to Sunday to represent one last push of removing sin from our lives before Easter.
**Have a special dinner on Palm Sunday to open up Holy Week and discuss the week ahead.
**Easter Eggs for breakfast! Each morning of Holy week, put a plastic egg out for each family member, with a portion of the passion story inside of it. Have everyone open their egg, put the pieces in order, and then take turns reading the story aloud. Each day it will grow a little more. Put the empty eggs in a basket awaiting Easter Sunday (parents can fill them with a sweet treat on Easter morning to represent how Jesus turned his passion into something so sweet and beautiful for all of us).

-Religious traditions:
**Attend Holy Thursday Mass.
**Have a Passover Seder on Holy Thursday.
**Attend the stations of the cross on Good Friday.
**Pray the sorrowful mysteries together during the holy hours on Good Friday.
**Attend confession on Monday in preparation for Holy Week.
**Remember to fast and abstain on Good Friday.

How we celebrated:
Aaron and I got done with the MS 150 on Sunday and made the trek back to Houston by bus. We were happy to have time to shower before attending the 7:30pm Palm Sunday mass. It started with a procession around the courtyard; the whole congregration followed the priest and alter server who was swaying insence. Everyone held their palms as they processed into the church. The service was reverent, quiet, and meaningful. The liturgy is always much longer on Palm Sunday, and this really helps set the tone for the whole week. It was a very peaceful reflective way to enter into Holy Week.

On Thursday, we went to Holy Thursday mass. Again, another incredible way to reflect on the sacrifice that was made for us and the beautiful gifts Jesus gave us at His Last Supper. We then held our own Passover Seder following Holy Thursday mass. It really brought the meaning home for us and helped me think about being in the position of the disciples during that feast meal. More details of that in my Passover post.

Finally, on Good Friday, Aaron and I drove to Red Oak and went to Stations of the Cross during Holy Hour. I love going to Stations because it really focuses on the emotions that the people were experiencing during the journey to Calvary. On the way to Dallas, I was able to reflect on the sorrowful mysteries as I prayed the rosary, so that really helped me get in the right mindset to attend Stations. I think really embracing the Holiday, just makes you feel so thankful for everything in your life.

Keep the Faith and Good Will Prevail

This year Purim fell at a bit of an awkward time for celebrating, so Aaron and I were unsure how to really honor the feast. We ended up doing something completely simple, and simply tried to focus on the true meaning of the celebration. Esther is an incredible example of what it means to let God use you exactly where you are with the gifts and blessings He has bestowed upon you. What a special and important message for anyone to focus on. Few people hold positions of such power that they can make dramatic earth shattering decisions at the drop of a hat. However, we all play some role each and every day. If we allowed God to guide us in our roles and listened for the whisper of His direction and guidance, maybe God could use us as he used Esther. It might be that we get used for something so simple as to brighten someone's day or we could make a larger impact that we might never get to see. Whatever it is, wouldn't this world be a better place if we all focused in on how God was trying to use us on a daily basis, in our current roles, to bring about peace and goodness? What a great lesson to focus on during this Lenten season.

This song played yesterday after our mini celebration and I was very moved by how appropriate it was for the holiday:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_RjndG0IX8

Original Post:

http://greatandholyadventure.blogspot.com/2013/02/celebrate-with-pastries.html

Holiday: Purim (pronounced poor-im) March 15, 2014

Celebration: Also known as the feast of Lots, it is the Celebration of a narrow escape from genocide described in the biblical Book of Esther.

Historical background: The Feast of Lots, also called the Feast of Esther, occurs in late winter and celebrates the liberation of the Jews of Persia from destruction at the hands of the proud and wicked Haman, Prime Minister under King Xerxes (Ahasueres).

The book of Esther begins with Esther being chosen to be the wife of Ahasueres because his first wife had refused his will. Haman plotted to exterminate the Jews because he had a deep hatred for Esther's cousin, Mordecai who had raised her. Mordecai refused to bow down to Hamen because he did not want to set human glory above the glory of God. As Prime Minister, Hamen sent out a letter to all of the provinces telling them the day in which they were to exterminate all of the Jews in that area because they were a people who opposed the king. Mordecai learned of his plans and spoke to Esther encouraging her to defend her people as her position of queen was a God given one. She called for a fast in order to make an appeal to the King on behalf of the Jewish people. She fasted for three days and then approached the king (unheard of for anyone to do during this time let alone a woman) to ask that the decree that Haman sent out be reversed. The king was very upset by the decree because it would mean that Esther would be killed as she confessed to being Jewish herself. He had Hamen hung and approved a letter to be sent out to the Jews in all of the provinces making them aware of the plot against them. Through faith in God, they defended themselves when the day came and they were delivered from their oppressors. The day of victory was so named Purim because Hamen had cast lots (pur) to determine the day on which he was going to exterminate the Jews.

God demonstrates that He is the master over the outcome of chance throughout the entire narrative. Purim is a happy, fun-filled holiday that rejoices over the irresistible grace of the God of Israel and his providential care.

Biblical basis:

The entire scroll of Esther recounts all of the events surrounding Purim (Esther 1-10:3). Use this link to go to the entire reading...

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Esther+1%3A1-10%3A3&version=ESV 

I have added the verses below that deal strictly with the celebration of Purim.

Esther 9:20-32
20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.

29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirmingthis second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Queen Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.

Ways to Celebrate:
-Craft ideas for kids and youth:
**Make or decorate obnoxious noisemakers to play during the reading of Esther when the name "Hamen" is mentioned...can be as simple as paper plates!

**Make packages to bring to friends and neighbors filled with Hamentashen so they can share in the celebration. Be sure to include a special note about what the season means and encouraging them to trust in God.

-Fun family ideas:
**Read the story of Esther aloud cheering when the name "Mordecai" is mentioned and booing and playing loud noisemakers when the name "Hamen" is mentioned.
**Make your own Hamentashen!! They are delicious triangular pastries that represent the hat that the evil Hamen wore.

**Have a festive family meal together with a celebratory sweet challah made with raisins or cranberries.

-Religious traditions:
**Use the following guide to say prayers together before the family meal
Mother: lights the candles and says:
Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
who has given us light in darkness and victory over our enemies.
Father: Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, by whom we were created and to whom we owe all glory and praise. As we commemorate thy saving power on this feast of Purim, may we always look to thee to be our strength, our protection and our deliverance.
Child: May we be as obedient as Hadassah (Esther) and revere God with awe.
Child: May we be as faithful as Mordecai who refused to bend his knee to any but God alone.
Child: May we seek justice and never allow the hatred of Haman to flourish.
Child: May we celebrate with your people, O Lord, these days of Purim in which sorrow was turned to joy and mourning into feasting.
Father: Mordecai said to Esther, "Who knows but that it was for a time like this that you obtained the royal dignity." (Esther 4:14) We pray, O Lord, that each of us may be used in the position in which thou hast placed us, that we may bring thy justice, freedom and truth to others.We ask this in the name of Yeshua, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee and Ruach haKodesh, one God, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.

Blessings to be said before reading the story of Esther:

Did Jesus celebrate Purim?:
It is written in John chapter 5 that Jesus was in Jerusalem for an unnamed feast, but scholars have questioned which feast this was. Some have rejected the idea that this was Purim because it was considered a "minor" feast and not one of the three pilgrimage festivals. However, we know that Yeshua celebrated Chanukah (John 10:22) which is also another "minor" feast. According to Lambert Dolphin's research on this question, chronologically the only feast that John could be referring to is Purim, since it is said to have fallen on Shabbat (John 5:9), but the only feast that occurred on Shabbat between the years of 25-35 CE was in fact Purim (in the year 28 CE). But why was it referred to an unnamed feast? Perhaps the spirit of God intentionally left out the name of the feast because the name of the Lord was likewise deliberately left out of the Book of Esther.

How we celebrated:
Aaron and I kept it very simple this year which I liked. We made homemade hamentashen (which were deeeeeeelicious), and then sat on the porch eating our cookies, drinking tea, and reading from the book of Esther. We also read a children's book that my mom gave me telling about the celebration of Purim. I then packaged up some of our cookies to take to coworkers. It really was a wonderful way to celebrate and gave me the opportunity to reflect on the holiday. God used Esther in such a profound way. How is He using me daily in my various roles? Am I letting Him? We all have a role to play and I think understanding and reflecting on the fact that God can and will use us exactly as we are, is a powerful message.

Your Daily Penance

Lent has developed a very special place in my heart. The older I get, it seems the busier I get as well. Lent provides a time for me to focus in on what is important in my life and try to cut out the things that are creating stress, chaos, and distraction. I get to focus each and every day on my walk with God and engage my whole family in the process as well. I LOVE things that can be done as a family and Lent provides such a wonderful time for the family to come together and as one of my favorite people says, "Do something beautiful for God." I really love that there are several significant Jewish and Catholic celebrations that coincide during this time. Somehow honoring the passover meal as Jesus did his entire life really makes it so special. More to come on that later.

My original post (not much has changed except for some ideas at the bottom):
http://greatandholyadventure.blogspot.com/2013/02/fast-pray-give.html

Holiday: Lent- the time from Ash Wednesday to Easter

Celebration: The 40 day period that represents the 40 days that Jesus was in the desert before he started his public ministry and also is symbolic of the 40 years the Israelites spent in exile after the exodus. It is a season of penance, reflection, and fasting which prepares us for Christ's Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which we attain redemption.

This video does a great job of explaining the key points of the Lenton season: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3L3c23MfC0&feature=youtu.be

Historical background:
Lent is the forty-day liturgical season of fasting, special prayer and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. The name "Lent" is from the Middle English Lenten and Anglo-Saxon Lenten, meaning spring; its more primitive ecclesiastical name was the "forty days," tessaracoste in Greek. The number "forty" is first noted in the Canons of Nicaea (A.D. 325), likely in imitation of Jesus' fast in the desert before His public ministry (with Old Testament precedent in Moses and Elijah). By the fourth century, in most of the West, it referred to six days' fast per week of six weeks (Sundays were excluded); in the seventh century the days from Ash Wednesday through the First Sunday were added to make the number forty.

Biblical basis:
The concept comes from Holy Scripture, inspired by the acts of Jesus, Himself, and then His Apostles. The practice of fasting is very common theme in the New Testament. But the sacrifices of the 40 days of Lent are directly inspired by Christ's very own experience in the desert, where he did not eat or drink for 40 days and was tempted by the devil afterward.

If Christ, Himself, who is perfect and without any sin, was lead by the Holy Spirit to fast for 40 days and be tempted, then as sinners, it is definitely a wonderful opportunity to engage in those acts as well. He goes on to instruct how we are to fast, by appearing as if we are not fasting, so that only God knows what we are doing. We also see that whenever the Apostles needed wisdom, they fasted and prayed, first.

Both Christ and the Apostles engaged in this sacrifice as preparation for something bigger, and to strengthen themselves, spiritually, for their service to the Lord, much like what we are hoping to accomplish during this season of Lent.

Matthew 4
The Temptation of Jesus
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
7Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.
8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 10Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. 11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Matthew 6:16-18
16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Luke 2:37
Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer.

Acts 13:3So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.

Acts 14:23
Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

Ways to Celebrate:
-Craft ideas for kids and youth:
**Create a prayer, alms, or sacrifice jar to help children really focus in on the meaning of the season.

With the Sacrifice Jar, each day your child can do something kind for someone else, say a prayer for someone special, help out with an extra chore, or make a small sacrifice on their level. When they do so, they move one bean from their "Name" jar to the family "Sacrifice" jar. And, if you forget one day, you can always double up another day.

If you're at a loss for ideas on Sacrifices your child can make each day, here are a few to get you started:

Let a sibling choose the game, book, or movie.

Share a toy with a sibling for a whole day (or half a day).

Clean up the toys without being asked or after being asked just once.

Help bring in dishes after a meal.

Give up play time to help mom or dad.

Pray for 5 people.

Say one decade of the rosary.

Practice a new prayer.

Choose one toy to give away.

Help make cookies or a meal to bless someone with.

Make a card and send to someone who might need cheering up.

Every time the children do something thoughtful, kind, or without complaining/whining, add beans to the jar. On Easter, you can replace all the beans with a very special candy of some sort: a tangible representation of how Jesus takes all our measly efforts, which are literally "worth beans," and with His grace and merits transforms them into something very sweet and lovely indeed!

**Have the children make their very own stations of the cross to do at home or bring with them when you go to stations at church! There are all kinds of examples online, but I like this one because you can take it with you. This site has a GREAT how-to for making your own set. 

http://www.catholicicing.com/stations-of-cross-eggs-for-catholic/

**Focus on a different saint each week and how that saint was an excellent example of praying, fasting, and giving- do a coloring sheet of this saint and hang it by the Lenten cross you made as a reminder of someone you can look to for an example of how to follow Jesus

-Fun family ideas:
**Attend a Knights of Columbus fish fry!
**Use the calendar here to remind you of ways you can pray, fast, and give on a daily basis- great way for the family to start the morning together.

http://bustedhalo.com/features/fast-pray-give-2013

**Make pretzels as a family while practicing your prayers! Pretzels originated in Europe during the Middle Ages. A monk was making unleavened bread for Lent with flour and water because eggs, milk and lard were not consumed as part of the Lenten fast. He twisted some of the dough into the shape of people praying with both arms folded across their chests. He decided it would be a perfect treat for children learning to say their prayers. He called the treats pretiola, the Latin word for "little reward."

**Volunteer together

**Use the little black book! They are wonderful. They have daily prayers, reflections, and devotions for the time of lent. (littlebooks.org)

-Religious traditions:
**This wreath is a beautiful way for children to participate in and understand the meaning of the entire Lenten season and the journey Jesus went on. I want to get one for the future for sure!

http://adventtolenttoascensionwreath.blogspot.com/2010/08/t-he-light-of-world-that-mary-carried_26.html

**Attend daily mass

**Visit a Stations of the Cross ceremony

**Spend quiet time in adoration

**Take part in the sacrament of confession

How we are celebrating:
Aaron and I have established a bit of a system for celebrating this year. Sometimes, I have so many ideas and trying to incorporate them all would be crazy. so we are trying to develop the most meaningful ways of honoring the season. This year, I made a special centerpiece for the table and we say a prayer and light a candle each night to remember the 40 days Jesus was in the desert. Since the purpose of Lent is to focus on praying, fasting, and giving, we decided that each week we would think of a different way to pray, fast, and give together while maintaining our own Lenten sacrifices separately. We also have highlighted a different saint each week and focused in on how they lived their life for God. It has been such a great way to celebrate the season together. We have had the opportunity to give back to lots of people that we love, value, and respect, have spent time trying different forms of prayer together, and have fasted from various things that we see as luxurious or excessive in our life. Through our weekly focuses, we have gone to a penance service, spent time in adoration, are planning to attend Stations of the Cross. I have really enjoyed feeling like we are on this journey together. We also decided it would be fun to try a different pretzel each Friday. I LOVE the story of how the pretzel was invented and plan to do this with children in the future while practicing our prayers. We also kept with the tradition of reading from our little black book each day; it is the perfect opportunity to pause and reflect.